Many years ago, just after the birth of our first child, my wife and I moved to Howard County, Maryland and began attending Glen Mar Church, a Methodist church that was large enough that we both thought we could simply blend in to the background and remain anonymous. This project was an utter failure, as my wife soon embarked on a path that would result in her being ordained as an Elder in the United Methodist Church, and I began a joyous journey through many small group Bible studies, learning both how to facilitate such groups and being continually amazed at the power of Scripture to change lives. It was in this context that I first encountered “Bible 101”, a short class created by Andy Lunt, the long-time pastor of Glen Mar and a great man in the faith. Andy explained that far too often, when he mentioned a particular Biblical story or character, he was met with far too many blank stares from the congregation. Andy recognized this for what it was: the face of Biblical illiteracy. In response, he created Bible 101 to fill in gaps often left open by typical Bible studies that focus on passages of Scripture but that do not address the larger picture of the Bible as a whole: What is the Bible, actually? What do we really know about it? Where did it come from and who wrote it? Why is it often so hard to understand? Why does it sometimes seem to contradict itself? Are we expected to believe everything in it, especially in light of what we now know about our world and the universe?
Andy structured Bible 101 as six 90-minute lectures (three on the Old Testament, three on the New) featuring him simply standing behind a podium. That was it. Now, Andy is the rare individual who can pull this off, as he has the intellect, the presence, and most especially the voice that can keep people’s rapt attention as long as he wants. So when, as he neared retirement, he asked me to take the class and keep it going (gulp!), I knew I had to reformat it to push myself much more to the background. So it became a set of PowerPoint decks that underwent a number of revisions and restructuring over the years of presenting and discussing it. At one point its name became “Base Bible Study” to cast its material as a foundation for understanding Scripture and preparation for subsequent Bible studies. In its current incarnation, it is 10 videos, each about 20-30 minutes long. You’ll find much more information in the short introductory video, and I hope that you find this content a helpful companion on your own personal walk with Scripture!
Next up: Session 1 – What is the Bible?
